Over 463,000 in EV receive jabs against COVID-19
As the region’ COVID-19 cases continue to spike
TACLOBAN CITY – A total of 463,742 people in Eastern Visayas have been fully vaccinated as of September 16 as the region continues to receive more vaccine supplies from the national government.
The number forms part of the 974,470 first and second doses administered to health workers, senior citizens, those with comorbidities, and essential workers in six provinces and seven cities in the region, the Department of Health (DOH-8) here reported.
A total of 510,728 doses, or 76.99 percent of the 663,373 first doses allocated to the region, have been administered.
The DOH-8 also reported that about 98.83 percent of the available doses have been distributed, equating to 1,299,131 out of the 1,314,560 doses received.
The region has 419 sites conducting COVID-19 vaccination.
“The government’s intensified vaccination drive is continually in action as the vaccine inoculation for the first three priority groups (health workers, elderly, and those with comorbidities) is still ongoing, both for their first and second doses,” the DOH-8 said in a statement sent to reporters.
“The public is reminded to coordinate with their LGUs (local government units) for vaccine registration and get vaccinated, following the government’s Prioritization Framework, to get maximum protection against the severe form of COVID-19.”
The direct deliveries of vaccines from the Tacloban airport to several local government units in the region is expected to step up the government’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout, protecting more individuals from catching severe infections and deaths from the coronavirus.
The health department reminds everyone, including those vaccinated, to continue to adhere to public health measures, such as physical distancing, wearing of face masks and face shields, hand and respiratory hygiene, and ensuring good ventilation by opening windows and doors where possible, as vaccines do not replace the important preventive measures that are being practiced.
On Monday (September 20), the DOH reported of 124 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the region’s total cases to 46,031 cases.
It also reported of 43,239 recoveries with active cases at 2,307 and total deaths to 485.
PRDP turns over one unit hauling truck to NSIHCCPA
CATARMAN, Northern Samar- The Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) under its Investment in Rural Enterprise and Agricultural and Fisheries Productivity (I-REAP) component recently turned over the hauling truck amounting to P1.9 million to the Northern Samar Indigenous Handicraft and Coco-coir Producers Association (NSIHCCPA) through a simple ceremony at the provincial covered court, provincial capitol compound.
Vice Governor Gary Lavin, who represented Governor Edwin Ongchuan, extended gratitude to the PRDP for its continuous support to the association.
Faustina Yosores, NSIHCCPA president, said that the dream they have been waiting for has finally realized.
She was thankful to the provincial government of Northern Samar under the leadership of Gov.Ongchuan for the support and exposure to trade fairs in order to promote and showcase their products.
She added that the hauling truck will surely help in transporting their products to different parts of the country such as Ormoc, Laguna, Quezon, etc.
Meanwhile, Editha Adalla, I-REAP head, reminded the officers and members of the association to manage well their handicraft and coco-coir project particularly the hauling truck and to use it solely for the project.
Allan Ultra, assistant provincial agriculturist emphasized that the hauling truck will help in lowering the cost of production of their products, and at the same time, create employment in their communities.
As of now, the NSIHCCPA is composed of 16 associations with more than 500 members in three clusters areas – Pambujan, San Roque and Laoang.
Also present during the turn-over ceremony were Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator Romeo Cardenas, staff of the Department of Agriculture Regional Project Support Office 08 and PRDP Visayas Cluster Support Office, and officers and members of NSIHCCPA.
(NORTHERN SAMAR PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)
P9.8-million farm- to-market road project in Bobon N. Samar now completed
CATARMAN, Northern Samar- Farmers and local residents are now benefiting from the recently completed farm-to-market (FMR) road Phase II, in Barangay Jose Abad Santos, Bobon, this province.
OIC District Engineer Mario Villena said that the previously unpaved road was converted into two-lane concrete paved road with Grouted Riprap Slope Protection.
The 0.30-lane kilometer concrete road will give convenience to farmers and locals in transporting their farm products to the market centers, providing the community with the fresher goods for consumption. Motorists utilizing the said road section will no longer be burdened especially during rainy days, when the unpaved road was muddy and slippery posing hazard to their safety during travel.
The P9.8-million FMR project started its construction last March 22,2021 and was completed on June 22,2021, more than two (2) months ahead of schedule, funded under the convergence program of DPWH and Department of Agriculture (DA).
(ANALIZA A. PABIA, PIO ALTERNATE/PR)
27 medical workers in EV among active COVID-19 cases
3 of them have the Delta variant infection
TACLOBAN CITY- At least 27 medical workers in the region are among patients who continue to battle with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
And three of them were detected to have infected of the highly transmissible Delta variant, Dr. Marc Steven Capungcol, head of the regional surveillance and epidemiology unit of the Department of Health (DOH), said.
Of the three medical workers confirmed to have been infected of the Delta variant of COVID-19, two were from Taft in Eastern Samar and one from Alangalang in Leyte.
And of 27 medical workers whose COVID-19 infection are considered as active, 16 of them were from Leyte; eight from Northern Samar; two from Samar; and one from Southern Leyte.
Since the start of the pandemic, 1,733 medical workers from the region have been infected with COVID-19 of which 1,699 of them have recovered and seven of them died due to COVID-19 complications.
Capungcol said that these medical workers infected of COVID-19 have most likely get the infection from their work places.
Thus, he appealed to the public to strictly follow all the health minimum protocols as their way of helping the medical workers from getting the infection.
“It is most high likely that these medical workers get the COVID-19 from their work stations; from the (patients tested positive for COVID-19),” Capungcol said.
The health official said that they continue to receive report that mass gatherings which are considered to be super spreader of COVID-19.
“If our COVID-19 cases will continue to increase, the more we are exposing our medical workers to infection,” Capungcol said.
He asked the public to report to their office or to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) or at their respective local government units those who continue to stage mass gatherings.
The region, as reported by DOH on Monday, has 143 new cases, bringing its total cases to 44,240 of which 41,723 have recovered.
About 2,032 are considered as active and 485 deaths.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)